In the Light of the Gods (Take 2)
by The Black Cat of Misfortune TI
Summary: 9 years have past since Haku let go of Chihiro's hand and sent her back to the Human World. Chihiro has lost everything and wants to return home. But will it be safe when it is dragon mating season and there is a certain river spirit at the bath house? The moon is drawing closer- contains lemon in later chapters. This is a remake of my previous story (still up)
1. Confrontation

**Right! As I said in my author's note in the original story, I am doing this again. Read this chapter and tell me honestly if you want me to keep the other story. I seriously don't want to, but if everyone does, then I won't delete it. My writing skills have improved so much that I wanted to make this even better. I read my most recent stories and love going back to certain chapters. I can't do that will the original because the grammar and the story overall was crap.**

 **Let's begin!**

* * *

Time is a strange thing. It goes away and never comes back no matter how much you wish it to. Memories that were once treasures may soon become blurred and unclear.

Okay, that sounds awful. Let me start again. My name is Nigihayami Kohaku Nushi and I am a river spirit. Nine years ago, I recovered my name back from a witch and was saved by a young human girl.

That human girl was someone very important to me. I wouldn't say first love because she was only a child and to be honest, that would be wrong. I guess she was my first true friend.

True, I had people like Lin and Kamaji looking out for me, but neither of them heard my silent cries for help. Only _she_ did.

Her name is Chihiro and currently is living a life in her own world, around her own kind.

I remember the day I last saw her and let go of her hand, saying 'don't look back'. I feel like I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts. I sometimes wish I had never met her. I am in desperate need of a friend that no one has ever been able to replace. A friend who is brave and kind, but also a cry-baby at times.

I wonder what our lives would have been like if we had never met.

. . .

"Freak!" Haru shouted in my ear.

"Loner!" Lucia pulled my hair.

I had grown tired of the same thing every single day. I winced as Lucia tugs harder.

"Oi, listen when you are being spoke to," Lucia said.

I wondered how long it has been since the last time I smiled. I wondered how long it has been since I last shed a tear...

Let me start from the beginning. My name is Chihiro Ogino and I am 19 years old. My head sometimes wondered back to the days that I spent at the orphanage.

You see, when I was 13, a virus hit Japan and consumed many lives in a matter of months. Doctors said that it was something that they had never seen before.

Anyway, as you can probably guess, both my parents were consumed by this strange illness, leaving me alone in the world. Because of my age and the fact that I had no relatives that were willing to take me in, I was forced to live in an orphanage.

The first few months there weren't too bad. I used to tell stories to the younger kids about the Spirit World.

It's a real place, you know. You may not believe me, but I've been there. 9 years ago, I stumbled into a world that was both terrifying, but also beautiful beyond imagination. I told these stories so that I could keep my memories alive.

The kids loved my stories, but people wanted to adopt young kids. So one by one, they began to leave with their new families. I think that was the last time I smiled.

The older kids found me strange and the social-workers didn't appreciate me telling bizarre stories when I should be focusing on my studies. I never though one person could feel so alone.

During my years at the orphanage, on the days the older kids banged at my door to have a go at me, I used to lie on my bed and think about to the Spirit World.

Lin, Kamaji, Granny...Haku. They were my real friends. I wish time could be reversed. I wish it could be stopped. But it cannot. After all, time is a strange thing.

. . .

I guess you could say that I wanted my life back. I wanted away from a world full of pollution and noise. Away from pain.

When I left the orphanage, I rented an apartment near the place I used to live with my parents. Near the forest that was originally the entrance to the Spirit World. I got a job and kept my mouth shut. I hope you're okay with listening to my tale of woe. I don't sense a happy ending in my human life.

I was in the middle of September when I began thinking seriously about what I wanted. The sun was going down and I sat at my breakfast table, reading bills and postcards from co-workers that seemed to be having a better life than me.

I leaned back in my chair and sighed, staring up at the ceiling.

"Okay, Okay. Let's think this through before you make another stupid mistake," I said to myself. "If I truly did this, who would I be leaving behind? No one. Who would truly notice my disappearance? Only my landlord."

I counted the things in my head, making sure that this decision was right. It then occurred to me that it was, and as soon as I worked that out, I stood up and ran to my bedroom.

I grabbed a rucksack and began shoving clothes and any necessities that I should need. Once my bag was pack, I walked over to the table again and wrote a short letter pretty much saying that I was running away. It was address to my landlord, of course.

I reached into my pocket and grabbed my iPhone. I wouldn't be needing it, nor any money. I placed them on the table next to the letter, grabbed the apartment keys and stood by the door. I turned and took one last look back, before smiling for the first time in god knows how long, and opening the door.

I made sure to lock everything up and put the keys under that mat. He would find them, but I honestly didn't care.

I left the premises and made my way through the dark towards the forest. The idea creeped me out slightly, but I had to be brave.

I remember the route my parents took and have actually tried to find this place before, but was never able to. What if I couldn't find it again? I shook my head, getting rid of the thoughts.

It was not long before I stood just outside the forest, on the 'road' my dad drove down 9 years ago.

The wind blew through the trees, making the forest howl. I felt like I was being watched and was beginning to have second thoughts.

Second thought my ass! I was doing this. I took a deep breath and grabbed out the torch from my bag, before venturing in. I stuck to the road, trying to stay as calm as possible, but I couldn't shake off the feeling of eyes. It was like the forest was alive.

I gasped and shakes every time I heard a twig snap or an owl 'twit twoo'.

Maybe it wasn't such a good idea in the first place, but I kept my head up high. However, it was until I felt something across my back that I literally legged it. I never knew I could run so fast while not know where I was going.

I kept the torch pointed to the ground so that I didn't trip over any logs or run into any trees. It was then that I saw something red at the last second, but was too late that I smacked right into it. I dropped my torch and slowly moved away from the wall that I had just crashed into, rubbing my poor nose.

I grabbed my torch from the ground and looked up. It was a clock tower. My eyes widened as I recognised the place almost instantly and nearly wept with joy, but I knew I had to find the tunnel first.

I scanned along the wall and saw an opening. I looked down it and saw it was dark, but I could see a light at the end.

I spent a good five minutes just staring down that tunnel. I had found it after 9 years. I was able to go home.

I could feel the familiar breeze from behind me, before repeating the words, "The wind's pulling me in." It was that moment that I took my first step through the tunnel. I guess you could say that it was that day that sealed my fate.

. . .

The bathhouse was as busy as ever. Customers flew in through the front gate and stayed for a number of days, before departing once more to their homes in the Human World.

I sometimes wished that I could return to mine, but the humans made it impossible. I wondered what life would have been like if my river was never destroyed. But because of my river's destruction, I would have never come to the bathhouse and been able to rescue Chihiro from Yubaba.

After she left that day, I went back and spoke with Yubaba. I told her that she had no power over me anymore. As you can guess, she wasn't happy. I knew I had to do something, so I challenge her for the Bathhouse. The old witch looked at me like I had grown three extra heads. A duel took place, and I won't bore you with the detail, so I'll just say that I won.

I allowed her and Boh to make a choice: stay and work for me or leave. Yubaba glared daggers at me and said that she would rather follow Sen to the Human World than work under me. So she left, taking Boh with her.

Back to the present day, I had made Lin my second in command. She keeps me sane and dealt with a lot that happens in the Bathhouse, while I deal with the paper work. We switch jobs here and there, so it's not all boring.

I was working on a report of the Bathhouse when suddenly Lin walked in through the door. I looked up, ready to lecture her on the wonderful concept of door knocking, but her face looked serious.

She walked up to the desk. "Haku, the workers have been saying that their getting a strange feeling. It's like they can sense something's coming," Lin informed. I sat back in my chair and frowned.

"Maybe this is just another excuse for them to have a break. Time is money, Lin, and the Bathhouse is a place for work," I said, but Lin shook her head.

"No, can't you sense it too. Something, or someone, _is_ coming," she replied. I sighed and set down my pen. I stood up and walked to the window behind me, opening it to reveal the late Summer night.

"So what do you want me to do about it? We have had plenty of strange customers make their way through our gates. Don't you remember the 'Stink Spirit' 9 years ago?" I asked. I looked back and saw Lin smiling sadly to herself.

"I remember that time more than anyone? You weren't even here, so you never got to see Sen's valiant show," Lin said, her eyes looking like they were revisiting the past. I sighed and looked out the window again.

"It's too dark at the moment to go searching for whatever's out there. If their destination is here, then we'll find out soon enough," I said. Lin nodded and walked out of the office.

I stared a little longer into the darkness. I, too, could feel something strange, but couldn't quite work it out. I huffed and closed the window, before sitting back in my seat and looking over the report again.

It was that moment when a strong, familiar scent hit my nose. I literally jumped out of my seat and focused only on that scent. I knew only one person who had that kind of smell, even though it had been 9 years. It wasn't long before I had Lin running into the office again, her face lit up and shocked.

"You smell that too, right?" she questioned, thinking she had gone crazy. I smiled gently and sat back in my chair, nodding slowly. Lin's grinned and jumped around a bit, clearly excited.

"Make sure everyone continues with their jobs. She'll show herself when she is ready. Make sure you bring her to me," I ordered. Lin raised an eyebrow.

"You sure that's the right thing to do? You're about to-"

"I don't care!" I interrupted. "Please, Lin? I want to see her." Lin sighed and bowed slightly, before rushing out of the office.

I couldn't hide my smile anymore, but thought for a moment back to the reason of Lin's uneasiness. I could understand why, but I have to do my best. "Oh, Chihiro, you really chose your timings well, don't you?" I muttered sarcastically, groaning in my chair.

. . .

The tunnel was as creep as I remember, but this time, it was in the dark. I had no mother to cling on to. No father to tell me to 'watch my step'. This whole tunnel just brought back memories. I jogged the last few metres into the warm light and found myself surrounded my spirits. I had done it! I found my way back!

I walked up to a duck spirit. "Hello? Can you help me?" I asked, but it just walked past like it had never seen me. Was I invisible.

"Last call for the Bathhouse!" someone shouted. Bathhouse! That's the place I need to go.

I ran through the crowd, realising that I just going through them. I was invisible. I found the familiar boat from my childhood and sprinted towards it, getting on just before the bridge went up.

I breathed heavily and looked around at the spirits. None of them could see me, so I just crouched down in a corner and waited for the boat to dock.

I knew time was running out for me because I had to eat something from this world before I disappear. No one could see me and I suspected that the only way they could see me is if I breathed on the bridge.

The boat shook as it docked at the steps. I jumped up and literally sprinted for my life, running through the town, passing the restaurants. All the lamps were lit and the spirits were wondering the place.

I ran up the stairs, made a sharp right turn, and found myself staring at a place that I hadn't seen in 9 years. The Bathhouse. I walked calmly to the bridge, and saw that the frogs and ladies were already waiting to greet the spirits from the boat.

I didn't pay attention to the frogs' conversation and just walked along the bridge, holding my breath.

Over the years, I had learnt to hold my breath a lot longer and made it close to the other side quite comfortably. I was only until I was a foot from the end, that I purposely let out a breath.

I could hear gasps around me, and I swiftly moved to the tiny door in the midst of the confusion. Now they knew of my presence. I hid in the back garden for a few minutes, listening the panic and, strangely, the excitement. Had I been missed so much?

"Please, everyone, calm down! We all know who has returned and Master Kohaku has been informed. Sen will show herself when she is ready. Now...Get back to work!" shouted one of the frogs. Hearing Haku real name gave me a strange warmth. He truly got his name back. He knew I was here.

I smiled and crawled over to the back door. I opened it and saw the dreaded stairs of doom. I did not miss these stair one bit. I made my way carefully as possible down the stairs, managing to reach the boiler room and only squealed twice. Good work, Chihiro!

I looked down at my hands and realised that I was beginning to fade. I panicked inside, but tried to stay calm.

I walked into the boiler room and immediately saw Kamaji at the boil. I smiled; it felt good to smile again, and walked slowly inside, prepared for a little performance. I cleared my throat quietly and spoke.

"Um, excuse me..." I said uneasyly. Kamaji, just like last time, ignored me. "Excuse, are you Kamaji?" I called again. This time he looked at me a scoffed.

"Great, another human. And this one is just as shy as the one. But, that was 9 years a...go..." I could see the light bulb on Kamaji's head light up. He looked at me, astonished. "Good heavens, can it really be?" he questioned. I smiled and nodded.

"It's good to see you again, Kamaji," I said. I feel myself fade away and this reunion would have to be very short if I didn't eat something. "Before you throw yourself at me, do you have any food?" I asked, started to get a bit worried. Kamaji noticed the problem and immediately grabbed a bit of prawn from his food bowl and handed it to me.

"Good thing I don't put my food out for Lin to take it, otherwise, you would be on your way to the kitchens, while everyone is trying to find you. Lin had said I would have a visitor. I thought it was the boiler inspector," Kamaji told. I smiled and rolled my eyes as I took the prawn and put it in my mouth, chewing and swallowing.

I immediately noticed the difference as I was no longer glowing or see through.

"There, that's better. Now, where's my hug from my favourite granddaughter?" the boiler man asked. I felt like laughing, but nothing came out. I hadn't had a hug in years, and instead of smiling and running into his arms, I just looked sad and walked very slowly into his arms, clinging tightly.

Kamaji seemed to realise something was wrong and hugged tightly. I winced to myself, remembering what was still littered across my body.

The spirit withdrew and looked at me seriously. "Sen, why are you here?" he asked. I looked down at my feet and realised that the Soot Spirits were around me.

"I wanted to go home," I muttered. Kamaji didn't seem to understand, but he hugged me again, a little gentler this time.

"I don't know what has happened Sen, but you're here now. I won't say you're safe, but if you see this place as your home: Welcome home," he replied. I nodded. The hug was warm, I missed these sort of moments.

I pulled away and took a deep breath.

"Right, I should get upstairs, before everyone come downstairs," I said. Kamaji still looked worried, but nodded.

"Come and see me again? I would love to have your company," he asked. I smiled and nodded.

"Of course. See you soon," I said, before taking my shoes and socks off, leaving them with the Soot Spirits, and leaving the boiler room, before muttering, "Thank you, Mister Boiler Man." Kamaji smiled and gave me a thumbs up.

"Good luck." I nodded and closed the slide door.

Everything seemed very quiet and I knew that people were waiting for me. I found the lift and pulled the lever, going up. My heart was racing for some reason and it only raced more when I got to the top and found a horde of workers smiling excitedly. Their smiles widened as they saw me. Everything sort of froze for a few seconds before they all came charging at me.

"Sen!" the literally all cried, moving forward to hug me. I had no idea how many people the lift could carry, so I moved out and allowed everyone to hug me. This was why this place was my home.

"I see everyone missed me," I muttered, smiling.

"Even after all these years, you're such still a dope," said a familiar voice. The workers stood aside and allowed Lin to come into view. Lin, my sister. I ran to her and hugged her tightly. "Hey, what's wrong? You didn't miss me that much, did you?" she asked. We were now around the same height. I shook my head, not wanting to make a scene in front of the workers.

"No, I just had nowhere else to go," I muttered. I heard Lin hum in confusion.

"Right, everyone, get back to work. Your customers are waiting for you and Master Kohaku would not be please if you spent your time with Sen," Lin ordered. Everyone groaned and grumbled as they stubbornly went back to work. "Come on," she beckoned, walking across the bridge. The baths were below us.

She took to the lift we originally took 9 years ago leading to Yubaba's office.

"Is Yubaba going to steal my name again?" I asked. Lin shook her head.

"Yubaba isn't the owner anymore. Haven't you been listening. Have you heard Yubaba's name mentioned once while you've been here. What name have you been hearing?" she asked.

"Haku's..." I muttered.

"Exactly," Lin said, pulling on the lever. It was only to my confusion that she pulled the lever again, stopping the lift. "What do you mean you have nowhere else to go?" she asked, turning to me. I wished she didn't ask that.

"Can we not, Lin?" I asked. Lin sat down on the floor, but guarding the leaver.

"We are not moving until you tell me," she said, stubbornly. I sighed and sat down with her.

"There's nothing to tell..." I muttered. Lin growled.

"Yes there is. Please, Sen? You're like a sister to me and you look so lifeless. What happened in the Human World? Why are you here?" she asked. I sat quietly, not really wanting to speak. Lin sighed and looked down. "Did Haku send you off to live a life of pain?"

I shook my head. "No, I loved my parents and I enjoyed my life with them," I replied. Lin bit her lip.

"You're using past tense, Sen," she said. I rolled myself further into a ball and put my forehead on my knees. "Are they dead?" she asked. I just nodded my head, not saying anything. "Will you tell me what happened?"

I looked up and licked my dry lips. "There was a disease that spread through Japan. My parents didn't make it. I used to think I was alive because of Zeniba's hair tie," I replied.

"Hair tie?" Lin asked. I nodded and showed her the shiny, purple hair tie in my hair.

"Zeniba made it for me 9 years ago when I went to visit her. She said that it would protect me. I guess her magic really does work, just not of physical things..." I muttered. Lin looked puzzled.

"Okay, so your parents died, meaning you were sent to one of those places they put abandoned kids?" she questioned. I nodded.

"It's called an orphanage."

"What happened there?" Lin asked. I just shook my head and curled back into a ball. Lin sighed. "You're 19 years old, Sen. Why are you so afraid?"

"Because if I tell you, I'll remember. I don't want to remember the pain..." I said.

"Pain? Sen, what did they do to you?" she asked. I bit my lip and took a deep breath.

"They hurt me for telling strange stories," I finally said. "I used to tell stories about the Spirit World to the younger kids, but the older ones just thought I was strange and found me an easy target. At first, I would fight back, but I was too rough on them and they got hurt, making me seem like the bad person. I was alone after that. I haven't laughed or cried in years. I saw Kamaji earlier, and I wanted to laugh. I wanted to cry into your shoulder, but I couldn't. Nothing came and I feel lost."

Lin looked shocked.

"D-Do you still have marks?" she asked. It took a while, but I nodded and curled back up. "I have to tell Haku-"

"No! Please don't tell him! He doesn't have time to worry about me. I'm sure he's got enough on his plate running the Bathhouse," I pleaded. Lin smiled and caressed my cheek.

"Haku and I run the Bathhouse together. Besides, he hasn't seen you in 9 years. He would always have time for you. Just be careful around him for now," she told me. I looked puzzled.

"Why?" I asked. Lin sighed.

"You'll find out soon enough," she replied, before standing up, pulling the lever again, making the lift move upwards. I stayed very silent on the ground. I hated revealing my past. It made me feel like I still held a grudge. Believe me, I do, but I didn't want other people finding out.

We reached the top floor and I realised that everything had been redecorated. Instead of a crow on the wall, there was a dragon. I rolled my eyes at the unoriginality.

"Come on. Haku's waiting," Lin said, opening the doors and walking down the corridor. They were so unreasonable long that I felt like pretending to drop down and say 'Go on without me, I'll slow you down', but I doubt Lin would get the joke. Lin knocked on the office door and entered. She put her hand out to tell me to wait and I did. I didn't know what she was going to tell him, but I prayed that she wouldn't tell him about my Human World horror life.

I could hear voices from inside, and a little shouting. Lin, you bitch.

The door opened and Lin gestured for me to come inside.

"Did you tell him?" I asked quietly.

"Tell me what?" a familiar voice asked. I turned my head and saw Haku leaning on his desk. I smiled more than I ever have, before running to him and throwing my arms around him, burying my head into his neck. His hair was longer, but still as smooth as I remembered. He was taller too.

I could feel his hand stroke my hair as I clung to him. I don't know why I was trembling, but I felt like I was finally home; safe and sound. Haku was very quiet and allowed me to cling to him. Maybe Lin did tell him, but he wanted to keep quiet about it.

"You can go now, Lin. Thank you," he said. I missed his voice so much. I heard the door close. "Chihiro?"

I snapped out of it and let go of him, backing away. I tried my best to sound okay. I learnt how to act over the years.

"Sorry about that, Haku. It's really been a long time, hasn't it? How are you?" I asked him. His eyes darkened, but I ignored it.

He had changed so much. Haku no longer looked 12. He was taller and his hair was longer and more uneven, instead of being the same length. His hair went to his waist. He looked to have more muscle too. I don't know if he was hiding his age or something when he first met me, but you could say that puberty was good to him. He wore a similar uniform from what he used to wear, but it looked better made and, of course, bigger.

"Life has been fine. Yubaba had a lot of work. Maybe that was why she was such a bitch," he replied. I smiled a true smile. Haku sighed and walked over to me, but he seemed to keep his distance. Why was that? "And what about you? How have you been?" he asked, something in his eyes made me wonder if I was going to be truthful.

"Not the best. My parents died and I had to live in an orphanage. Apart from that, my life was fine," I half lied. Haku look a little disappointed in me.

"I'm sorry about your parents. You came here because of them 9 years ago, after all. How old were you?" he asked.

"13," I struggled to say. I hadn't spoken about my parents for quite some time. Haku looked down. "Don't look like that. I'm fine-"

"Then why are you here?" Haku interrupted. I gulped. Haku began to circle me. "If your life is fine, why are you here?" I continued to look straight on. He was testing me. Was this really my Haku?

"Is there anything wrong with wanting to see my friends again?" I asked, staying strong. Haku stopped.

"No," he muttered. He walked back to his desk and sat down. "Well, you've seen us and we've seen you. It was wonderful to see you again. Now, I'm very busy, so I think it'll be best to send you home in the morning." My eyes widened. He was letting me go? Haku went back to his work. I bit my lip and my fringe covered my eyes.

"Did Lin tell you?" I asked, wanting to know the reason behind Haku's dismissal.

"That will depend on what you mean. Lin has told me many things," he said without looking up.

"Don't play dumb with me! Did she or did she not tell you about my past!?" I exclaimed. Haku was now looking at me with serious eyes that I had never seen before.

"I will not say. I want to hear the truth from you. Don't lie to me, Chihiro. Your heart is beating too fast," he said darkly. Shit.

I looked passed him to the window. I walked to it, still feeling his eyes on me, staring at the lights down below.

"What do you want me to say? I don't want to tell you anything I don't need to," I asked.

"Then I will never trust you," Haku muttered. I growled.

"I'm not one of your employees, Haku. I don't need your trust," I said, not looking at him.

"Yes, but you want it," he said calmly. Something snapped inside of me that moment. I turned to him.

"What the fuck would you know about what I want!? I want my parents. I want my life back. I want my nightmares gone. I want this. I want that. I want to go home," I exclaimed loud enough that the people downstairs could probably hear. Haku didn't seem effected by my sudden outburst.

He stood up, but I backed away.

"Fuck you!" I shouted to him, rushing to the door and opening it, only for a hand to come from behind me and closing the door.

"I'm sorry," Haku apologised. "I just want to hear it from your own mouth. Lin told me and I wanted you to trust me with this knowledge. I'm sorry I forced it out of you."

My back was to him as he spoke these words in my ear. I felt my heart snap in two. It was that moment when I felt something wet falling down my cheeks. Tears? I didn't know I could cry anymore. I couldn't stop them. 6 years' worth of tears came rushing out of my eyes. Haku just stood there behind me, hand still on door, allowing me to cry. He knew I need to.

Was this what they called home? A place of comfort and peace? A place where you can depend of the people around you? Yes, I was home.

* * *

 **What did you think? Better? I think so. I prefer Lin telling Haku instead of Chihiro just spilling it out. I wanted Haku to get it out of her, instead of just being clueless. I plan to take their relationship a lot slower. As you can see, I you read the original, Chihiro and Haku didn't kiss. Haku just stood behind her and allowed her to cry, not interrupting. Chihiro isn't going to be a cry-baby in this story, don't worry. Everyone's character is going to develop in some shape of form. I'm going to leave this now. I don't know when I am going to update again because I plan to finish another story. It's almost done and I have been holding it off because I wanted to wait until I got my laptop. I turned 18 yesterday, so now I am officially legal to write these stories, unlike when I was younger ;).**

 **Until Next Time!**


	2. Moon Oil

**Disclaimer: I do not own Spirited Away**

 **Hi! I'm sorry I am so late. I have been doing my exams and are currently slap bang in the middle of them. I wrote this chapter a while ago and have never really got around to uploading it. I love how my writing style has changed and I hope that you like it too. As you will see from this chapter, I am taking a slower approach.**

 **Have Fun!**

* * *

I didn't know Chihiro was so broken. When was the last time she cried? Even though people say that men shouldn't cry, I cry at times - it's healthy. But Chihiro, she's held it all in. I could only watch her. I wanted to comfort her, but she needed this. We didn't move.

When Chihiro stopped crying, everything was silent.

"Thank you," she said, before opening the door and leaving the office. I frowned and followed her.

"Where are you going?" I asked. Chihiro didn't stop.

Her long, brown hair swayed from side to side as she picked up speed. Chihiro had changed a lot over the years. Her hair was longer, down to her waist, much like mine, but she had hers tied up in a shiny purple hair tie. She had grown tall, but not as tall as me. Her clothes seemed so strange, much like the clothes when she first came here. This time she was wearing a maroon three quarter length sleeves shirt and strange blue trousers that made a scratching noise every time she moved.

"Human World," she replied. My eyes widened and I quickly grabbed her left shoulder and spinning her around.

"What? Why? Why would you go back to such a place?" I asked, astonished. Chihiro's eyes were wet and red. It made something inside me stir.

"I will not be made a fool of, Haku, especially not by you," she said glaring. I hissed.

"I said I was sorry. I'm not trying to make a fool out of you. Do you think I'm going to go downstairs and shout out about you? No, because I'm your friend and I would never do that," I said. Chihiro growled and tried to get out of my grip, but failed as I pushed her against the wall. "Trust me!" I shouted, trying to get through to her. Her eyes widened, before she stopped resisting.

"I'm going to go look for Lin..." she muttered. I sighed.

"Why?" I asked.

"None of your business, Dragon," Chihiro said before getting out of my grip and walking off.

"Dragon?" I said to myself. I huffed and leant against the wall. Chihiro wouldn't leave. She wouldn't be able to until the morning, so Lin could keep her company.

I clenched my chest as I felt a pressure. I had to be more careful in the future.

. . .

I didn't know what to do. I had never seen Haku like that. I wasn't going back to the Human World, but I did have a bone to pick with Lin. I used the lift downstairs and found Lin talking to the foreman. She saw me and waved. I glared and gestured her to come her. She looked a little scared for herself obeyed.

"What's up?" she asked, hoping to get off easy.

"You told him," I said. Lin sighed.

"I never said that I wouldn't. Trust him, Sen. He wants to help," she replied. I bit my lip.

"Why should I allow him to help me?" I asked. Lin smiled.

"Because you two seem to help each other. He saved your life. You got his name back and his freedom. I think Haku wanted to repay a debt when you paid too much," she said. I shook my head.

"He doesn't need to. He got my parents back, so he already paid for it. Besides, I'm not doing this to get even," I spoke. Lin lightly shoved me.

"Just allow him to help. He feels terrible. When I told him, he was threatening to deal with the people who hurt you. You heard the shouting, right?" I nodded. "Please, Sen?"

I sighed and nodded again.

"Fine," I replied. Lin smiled and grabbed my hand.

"Great, now come with me," Lin said.

"Why?" I asked, being pulled along.

"I want to heal you any way I can. Depending on how bad they are, I'll keep it a secret from Haku," she said. I looked at my sister.

"Promise?" I questioned. Lin smiled.

"Depending on how bad they are. I promise," she agreed. That was the best I was going to get. Most of them were healed. They were just scars. I nodded and allowed her to bring me back upstairs. Around Haku's office were rooms, some having beds, while the others are just empty.

Lin lead me into a room that had a bed. She told me to stay while she went to get the stuff that she needed. I sat patiently on the bed, not really prepared for what was going to happen. After five minutes, Lin walked back into the room with two buckets of water, a bottle with some clear liquid in it, and two flannels. She closed the door and walked to my side.

"Right, arms up," she ordered. I frowned.

"What?" I questioned. Lin tilted her head.

"Your injuries are on your chest and back, right?" she asked. I nodded. "You're not lying to me, right? There aren't any on your legs?" There truthfully wasn't as I was usually able to stop them. I nodded. "Okay, now let's start again. Arms up," Lin said.

I did as she said and allowed her to take my shirt off. I took it off slowly, closing my eyes as I heard her gasp. I huffed and put my shirt aside. Lin looked so hurt. I looked down at my chest and saw scars, cut and burn marks. Yeah, they hated me.

"Oh, Sen. I'm so sorry," Lin said. I shrugged my shoulders.

"Why are you apologising? You didn't do this to me," I said. Lin shook her head.

"Sen, all these cuts and scars, plus burnt marks from a cigarette. You really were in pain, weren't you?" I sighed and petted Lin's head.

"You didn't do this to me," I repeated. Lin sighed.

"Take off that other cloth around your breasts," she said. My arms unconsciously moved to cover my chest. It wasn't like I hadn't been in front a woman naked before; I lived in Japan after all, but I didn't like the feeling.

"It's called a bra," I told Lin as I undid it from the back, taking it off. My breasts weren't huge, but weren't small either. Lin smiled as she grabbed a flannel and dipped it into the water, drained it, before rubbing it on my chest. I winced at the feeling.

"You've really grown, Sen. I remember when you were 10 years old and only a child. Now you are a woman. In the Spirit World, usually people get married as soon as their bodies develop. You are ready for marriage," she told. I felt a little uneasy at her statement. Lin noticed this and smiled. "Don't worry. No one will touch you while your big sister is here," she reassured. This sort of triggered a thought.

"What about you, Lin? Don't you have a husband?" I asked her. Lin breathed out a laugh.

"No. My parents sold me to the Bathhouse the same age as you when we met. You can't marry while you work in the Bathhouse, or at least that was a law Yubaba set up. I lived in this place most my life and soon realised that it was no place for a husband or children," she said. She rubbed harder, causing me to groan in pain. "Sorry. Turn around."

"Why?" I asked. Lin rubbed at my back, scrapping at the burnt marks. I breathed in deeply to concentrate away from the pain.

"You know what Yubaba was like, besides when would we be able to spare time for a spouse or child? We're always working until the sun rises and then we are exhausted. No child should be brought up in a place like this, where their parents have no time for them," she said. I nodded. "What about you? Have you ever thought about having kids?" Lin asked me. I smiled and looked down into my hands.

"I've thought about it but gave up because I had no one. I was nearly raped a few years back because one of the older boys got drunk and took his prank a bit too far. I kicked him in the dick. He will never have kids," I told. Lin clicked her tongue.

"Ouch, but good for you. Well, now you are here, you don't have to think about that world ever again. Do you understand me?" she questioned, turning my head to face her. I nodded and Lin smiled. "Good."

I felt the flannel leave my skin and heard a splash.

"Right, I've cleaned you up best as I could," Lin said. I smiled as reached for my shirt.

"Thanks, Lin," I said, but Lin's hand stopped me.

"Woah, we aren't done yet," she replied. I looked puzzled.

"We're not? What? You going to bandage me up or something?" I asked. Lin shook her head. I turned around to face her and saw the water in the bucket was now red. Was that really my blood? Lin reached for the bottle of liquid and showed it to me.

"Do you know what this is?" she asked. I shook my head.

"Baby oil?" I answered half-assed. The liquid really did look like baby oil. I was transparent, but had a strange shimmer in it like it had its own light. Lin shook her head and opened the lid.

"This is called 'Moon Oil'. Legend has it that every 100 years 3 drops fall from the moon. I don't believe in it because I have no clue how they managed to catch droplets from the moon. We use it only for emergencies, and this is one of those times. It'll heal anything from a small paper cut to a large stab wound," Lin said pouring in one drop into the bucket of fresh water. "It only needs one drop and a lot of water," she told me. I nodded. "Be brave, Sen. Here, chew on this." Lin threw me an apple from her pocket. I frowned at the apple and was about to ask her what it was for, before she put the now wet flannel on my chest.

I had never felt so much pain in my life. I cried loudly and tried to move away from Lin, but she stopped me.

"I know it hurts, Sen, but be brave. Talk to me or eat the apple. I bet Haku heard that scream..." she muttered the last bit. At that point in life, I really could care less about Haku. I was in serious pain.

Lin rubbed my chest and back all over. My hands gripped onto the sheet as I tried to contain myself, but once she went over a burn, I couldn't hold it in. I cried loudly.

"Lin, please stop!" I shouted. Lin looked like she was in pain too. Not physically, but mentally. She was putting her sister through so much pain and had to be the one inflicting it.

"I'm almost done. Hang in there," she replied. I whimpered and held in the tears that were going to leak out of my eyes. I was not crying twice in one day.

It was then that there was a knock at the door.

"What's going on in there!?" shouted Haku's voice.

"Go away..." I said quietly in pain. Lin sighed and turned to the door.

"One minute, Haku. Don't come in," she replied. I couldn't stop whimpering and felt like cutting off my arm. "Nearly...nearly...There! Done. It's over, Sen." It's over. It's over. Lin removed the flannel from my skin and I fell back. My whole body felt numb and I couldn't move it. "Sen, stay awake for a few more seconds," Lin said, tossing me my shirt.

I groaned and put my shirt on. I lay back and felt like closing my eyes, so I did.

"Come in," Lin called. I heard the door open.

"What happened?" Haku asked.

"I had to use Moon...bad...pain-"

. . .

I was sitting at my desk when I heard a knock at the door.

"Come in," I called. The door opened and Lin walked in. "Aren't you supposed to be with Chihiro?" I questioned, slightly worried that she actually did a runner. Lin rolled her eyes.

"She's in the other room," Lin said. I sighed in relief. "I'll be healing her wounds so don't mind any screams," she continued. I frowned and stood up.

"Wait! What?" I asked. Lin shrugged her shoulders.

"I don't know what Sen's wounds will be like. I fear I might have to use Moon Oil on her," she said. My eyes widened.

"Moon Oil? You are not using that on her," I ordered, but Lin hissed.

"I don't want to either, but I want her memories of the human world to disappear. I don't want her to be reminded of those days by the scars on her body, and I'm sure that you wouldn't want that either," she replied. I sat back down and bit the inside of my mouth.

"Do what you believe must be done," I grumbled. Lin sighed and walked out of the office. I looked down at the papers in front of me. I could no longer think straight. I had experience Moon Oil once before and I wouldn't wish it on anymore, not even my enemies. But my most dearest friend was in the other room about the experience it. Life wasn't fair.

I just sat there, waiting to hear the screams. It wasn't until 10 minutes had gone past when I heard the first scream. It was a scream of pure agony and I jumped out of my seat and out of the office.

Were her wounds that bad? I reached the room where the noise was coming from and just stood there, listening to Chihiro's whimpers, begging Lin to stop. It made me even angrier than I originally was about the matter. Somebody touched what was mine- I mean somebody touched Chihiro.

I can't start getting thoughts about Chihiro. She is finally safe from a world of pain and I will not put her through anymore. It's too dangerous. I sighed and wondered if she was crying. She used to cry so much when she was younger, but now she is so different. She was a child then, but is a woman now. And Chihiro has come at a very bad time. I breathe deeply, regaining my sanity, before knocking.

"What's going on in there?" I call. I could have sworn I heard Chihiro say something but could only hear the harshness of her breathing.

"One minute, Haku. Don't come in," Lin replied. My heart raced and I felt like breaking the door down when I heard another whimper. It was only until Lin said, "Come in," that I opened the door and stared inside.

Chihiro was on the bed. I thought she was dead, but could see she was clearly breathing. I turned to Lin, who was standing up.

"What happened?" I asked. Lin sighed.

"I had to use Moon Oil. Her wounds were bad and were causing her a lot of pain. They were killing her there..." Lin muttered. I looked down and clicked my tongue, before going over to Chihiro and seeing that she was already asleep. It was completely normal to sleep after Moon Oil. It forces the user to sleep for 12 hours, allowing the recovery process to occur. I moved my hand to stroke her hair, before Lin grabbed my hand. "Haku," she said. I growled and got out of her grip, walking away.

I could tell Lin was following me. "I told you to be careful," she said. I huffed.

"I am being careful. Is there anything wrong with stroke someone's head?" I asked. Lin glared.

"You know full well that it's not about touching someone's head. This is Sen we are talking about," she spoke. I rolled my eyes.

"Really? And I thought this was about me," I replied.

"Haku!" Lin exclaimed. I didn't flinch and just glared at the annoying weasel spirit. Her eyes looked serious. "Do you remember what time it is?" she asked. I shrugged my shoulders.

"3:30," I replied. Lin walked to me and immediately tried to smack me over the face, before I grabbed her wrist.

"Don't pretend you don't know. You are coming up to your mating season. Don't you dare look to Sen as a mate. She is human and has gone through too much pain," Lin said. I glared and threw her hand away.

"I know that!...I know that...Chihiro and I are just friends," I muttered.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that," the weasel spirit said. I growled.

"What do you want me to say? You don't want me growing too attached to Chihiro, yet you think that we are more than friends? You're so confusing, Weasel," I said. Lin rolled her eyes.

"No, Dragon, you need to understand something. I understand that there is a bond better you and Sen, but do take it too far. I'm rooting for you, but I don't want her to get hurt. Can you do that for me?" she asked. I was growing a headache.

"So you want me and Chihiro to be together, but you don't want me to get her involved in this season, correct?" I confirmed. Lin nodded.

"Yep. Pretty much." I sighed and walked over to my desk.

"Lin, I haven't seen Chihiro in 9 years and you think that after a few hours of her being here that I'm going to hit on her and think that she is a suitable mate? No. I like Chihiro, a lot. But I won't immediately assume that after all these years she held a flame for me," I replied. Lin walked forward.

"And if she did? What then? Just say that both of you feel the same way. What would happen? Haku, you're bound by something that I don't understand. Sen's eyes are filled with a dull flame, but there's something more to it. I only wish you to be careful with your feelings. Maybe Sen is your fated mate. That would explain why you keep meeting. Give her time and settle," she said. I could only nod. I didn't want to say anything else causing a continuation to this conversation.

Lin left the office after that and I put my head into my hands. Lin was right, I had to be more careful. The problem was that dragons are very possessive of their mates. If it turns out that Chihiro is my mate, then my dragon will stop at nothing to obtain her. Mates weren't something you found and decided yourself. Mates were destined in the stars. The smell was something that told you and I fear that Chihiro could be in trouble. She really did chose her time perfectly...

At least she wasn't a dragon, because when female dragons go into heat, then there is nothing that could stop me. Mating season comes around every 100 years, so it's important to mate during that time. I had never mated before. I had gone through several mating seasons; yes, I was older than 500 years, but I stayed away from people during these times. I would have to leave for a couple of months when the season starts. It was soon, but still not for three months. I could feel the pressure in my chest though.

I turned my chair to the window and looked into the night, it would be dawn soon. Chihiro won't wake up for 12 hours. She'll be hungry when she wakes, so she can join me for breakfast. I sighed and decided it would be best to go downstairs to see how the clearing up is going. But first I went to the room Chihiro was sleeping in. Lin wasn't there, so it was safe. I kept my distance and watched her breathe slowly.

"I'm sorry this happened to you, Chihiro. In a way, I wish I never sent you home, but you wouldn't have liked that, would you?" I said. Chihiro didn't even stir, she was as still as the dead. I gulped as I walked over to her. I pushed back her fringe and kissed her forehead. "I'm sorry," I whispered before leaving the room quickly and going down stairs.

. . .

Drip...Drip...Drip. Silent droplets echo through the darkness. Why is everything so dark? I opened my eyes and looked around. Where was I? Who was I? I felt so lost.

It was then that I heard the jingles of a bell. I looked up and saw a small light floating in front of me. I smiled and reached out to touch it. It jingled to my touch. It reminded me of a fairy. The little fairy continued to jingle until it began to move away, leaving me in complete darkness.

"Wait! Don't leave me!" I called, getting up onto my feet. My legs felt strong. I followed the fairy as it moved further in the direction it was going. It didn't seem to be leaving me behind, meaning it wanted me to follow it. Everything looked the same to me, it was all darkness. It was until I heard the jingle again and looked to the fairy. My eyes widened at the sight.

In front of me was huge, double doors. It had strange marking on it. I walked hesitantly to the door and put my hands on it and began to push, it wouldn't open.

"What is this?" I asked, stepping back to get a better look. The marking seemed to show a story that involved the Sun, the Sea, the Moon and the Wind. I frowned and tried to push it once more.

"You'll never open that," said a voice behind me. I jumped out of my skin and turned around, no one was there. "Not with the way you are, anyway," I heard the voice again breathing into my ear. I turned around again, but still nothing.

"Where are you?" I called. A laugh echoed through the darkness.

"I am everywhere. I am you," it said. I frowned.

"What do you mean?" I asked. It was then that a bright like shone through the darkness, but only a spotlight onto me.

"You will understand in time, but for now, you are Chihiro Ogino," it spoke in a light voice. I gulped and put my hand to my chest.

"Chihiro...Ogino?" I questioned, beginning to remember who I was. "But who are you?" I asked, but got no answer. They were already gone, and so was the fairy, but the door wasn't. I went back to it and moved my hand across the markings. It looked like the story of the Gods. I remembered when I was in school, the teachers taught us about the Japanese Gods and the battle between the Sun and Moon, bringing day and night. Why was it on this door in my mind?

"I'm sorry, Chihiro," called another voice through the darkness, before my forehead felt warm. I knew this one.

"Haku!" I called, but I don't think he could hear me. I hissed and began to bang against the door. "Open!" I shouted, but it didn't budge. How was I supposed to get out then? Was this the door to the exit, or something else? To be honest, it looked like it was something more and it annoyed me more than anything. "What are you?" I asked, gently placing my hand on the marking of the Sea. I wanted to leave this place. I didn't want to be alone anymore. I came to the Spirit World to stop being alone, right?

"Let me out!" I banged on the door again, before realising that it was hopeless and slide down. "Let me out..."

I was then I felt like I have been punched in the stomach and I was thrown back. Everything was dark again and the door was gone, but this time it didn't feel like I was in my head. I could feel that my body was numb and asleep. Did I get out?

Senses made their way back into my arms and legs. I stretched out every toe and finger, before opening my eyes slowly; they felt so heavy.

I scanned around the room with half open eyes and remember that I was in a room not too far from Haku's office. Did that Moon Oil stuff really do this to me? I looked out the window in the far corner and saw that the sun was up. Everyone must be asleep, but I didn't want to go back to sleep. I didn't want to go back to that place.

My body felt like stone and I couldn't move it very well. It felt like I was being forced down. I took in a deep breath before rolling out of bed and making a loud thud on the floor. I hissed at the contact.

"Well, now what?" I whispered to myself. I was on the floor and couldn't move. Well done, Chihiro.

It was then that the door opened and Lin came into the door.

"Sen? What are to doing out of bed?" she asked me, looking completely astonished. I grumbled to myself as she helped me up and put me back in bed. "You are lucky that I woke up early. I wanted to make sure you were all right before you woke up. How in spirit's name did you wake up 2 hours early?" she asked. I felt too groggy to answer and just hummed. Lin sighed and rubbed her face. "Never mind. We can talk about this when you wake up. Go back to sleep," she said, beginning to walk away.

"I don't want to..." I murmured. Lin turned back.

"Why is that?" she asked.

"I don't want to be alone again. I saw something that made my head spin. I don't want to see that again," I replied. Lin tilted her head and went back to sitting next to me.

"Then how about I sit here until you wake up? That way you won't be alone," Lin said. I looked at her, before nodded and closed my eyes, feeling a hand on my forehead. I went back to sleep knowing that Lin was right there.

. . .

I woke up early because I just couldn't sleep. Work needed to be done, and to be honest, I wondered how Chihiro was doing. I got out of bed and got changed before walking to my office. The sun was nice and it lit up my office, but it soon didn't matter when I saw Lin.

"Lin? What's wrong? You're up early," I said. She softly smiled.

"I could say the same for you,' she replied. I waited for her to tell me why she was here. Lin sighed. "Sen woke up."

My eyes widened. "What?" I questioned. That was impossible. The oil forces you to sleep for 12 hours, no questions asked. "What did she say?"

"She didn't want to be alone anymore. She saw something that she didn't like and I think she made herself wake up," Lin replied. I ran my hands through my long hair, I needed to brush it.

"I've never heard of someone waking up during the process before. I'm guessing that she couldn't move?" I said. Lin nodded.

"She was on the floor when I found her. I was originally going to check up on her, but she was already awake and in a dream like state. I told her that I would sit beside her. I should get back. I just wanted to tell you," she said. I nodded and watched her leave the door.

I walked slowly to my desk. What the hell was going on? What did Chihiro see that made her want to wake up so much?

Usually, when you are in the process of healing, your mind shuts down. I was lucky because I had my dragon to keep me company, so I wasn't alone. Chihiro had no dragon or any spirit animal for a matter of fact; she was human. Maybe using Moon Oil on her wasn't such a good idea. We would just have to find out the results in the end. The damage has been done and I could only pray to the Gods that they would spare her.

I slammed my fist down on my desk. "What the fuck!" I said. I was confused and this wasn't the best time for me. All I could imagine was Chihiro's pale face, still as a rock, enduring the harshness of the mind.

* * *

 **Tada! Thank you so much for all of the reviews. They have been very interesting. A couple saying they like the original, but I don't see it. Oh well, I'll give it some time and then you guys can decide whether I take it down or not. It is actually a very popular story, so I might not. I just don't like the fact that it spoils this story for new readers.**

 **I don't know when I will upload again. I literally just felt like putting this up. I have three more exams left, but for anyone who is following me (as in all of my stories), I will be writing another story because I did promise that I would upload the next chapter on a certain date. It is my most popular story, with 100,000+ views, so I can't deny them. Hopefully, I will get round to doing this story again, but for now. Here is this.**

 **Well, until next time!**


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